Every time an Eric Bogle thread pops up, I keep thinking I should post the lyrics to The Dreamer, recorded by 20 year old Hannah Kirkpatrick on last year's Slim Dusty Family Reunion album. To set the lineage straight, Hannah is the daughter of Dr. David Kirkpatrick, the niece of Anne Kirkpatrick (Arneman) and the granddaughter of Slim Dusty -- real name David Kirkpatrick, though virtually no one ever called him that.

Then somehow I manage not to do it, though I typed up the lyrics months ago. Just a day or so ago, I noticed at Amazon that Eric's Dreamer CD will be released in the US on June 30. That finally stirred me into action. I just now checked and I see that it is on his site, though it wasn't back when I first transcribed these lyrics. His pdf carries a date of October 2007.

The Dreamer Eric Bogle, Larrikin Music As sung by Hannah Kirkpatrick Slim Dusty Family Reunion, EMI

Now some people call me a dreamer As if dreamer is a dirty word Say I sing a song that few still believe in And that fewer still have even heard

Say I'm living in a time that is over Not in the real world of today That we need more doers, less dreamers And that folks like me just get in the way

Yet I dream of a world without hunger I dream of a world without war Where we live at peace on this earth together Where the air tastes sweet, the rivers all run clear

Dream it first and it will happen But if you don't believe that it can Just leave me to my dreaming Because I'm happy where I am

Yes I dream of a world without hunger I dream of a world without war Where we live at peace on this earth together Where the air tastes sweet, the rivers all run clear

Dream it first and it will happen But if you don't believe that it can Just leave me to my dreaming Because I'm happy where I am.

The album is a good one, well worth your money as I am sure the Eric Bogle CD which will be released next week will be.

It features songs by the whole Dusty clan, Joy McKean (Mrs. Slim Dusty for those who don't know), children Anne Kirkpatrick(Arneman) and David Kirkpatrick, and grandchildren Kate Arneman 27, James Arneman 23 and Hannah Kirkpatrick 20. The one remaining grandson, Daniel Kirkpatrick 21, participated but did not do any "up front" singing.

If you do choose to buy the album, there are two versions, one with just the music and a deluxe version which also includes a DVD of the making of the album. That's the one I have and do recommend, but it is higher in price, currently only by about a dollar or so at Amazon.

Quite a number of Eric's songs have been recorded by Slim Dusty and his family over the years, this most recent one is definitely one of my favorites.